Teamgroup Dark Airflow I SSD Heatsink and Z540 2TB Gen 5 SSD – Review

Teamgroup recently sent me their Dark Airflow I SSD heatsink and the Z540 2TB Gen 5 SSD to test and review. after using the new hardware for 2 weeks in my personal machine, I’m ready to give you my honest review.

I decided to run a series of benchmarks and temperature tests to see how these latest offerings stack up against the previous generation and various cooling solutions. Here’s what I found.

Speed Tests: Gen 5 vs. Gen 4

First, I tested the Z540 2TB Gen 5 SSD in the PCIe Gen 5 slot on my Z790 Apex motherboard using CrystalDiskMark. The results were impressive, to say the least. The Gen 5 SSD managed a blistering read speed of 12,281 MB/s and a write speed of 11,907 MB/s. For comparison, I also tested the Teamgroup Cardea A440 Pro 1TB Gen 4 SSD. The Gen 4 SSD achieved a read speed of 6,977 MB/s and a write speed of 5,661 MB/s. The Gen 5 SSD outperformed its predecessor by a significant margin, demonstrating the leaps in performance we can expect with the latest generation.

Temperature Tests:

Next, I moved the Z540 SSD to the main slot of my motherboard, which runs at PCIe Gen 4 speed, to measure the temperatures under different cooling solutions. The ambient temperature during testing was a consistent 27°C. Here’s a breakdown of the results:

1. Dark Airflow I Heatsink with Fan Connected: The temperature peaked at 49°C. This setup provided the best cooling performance, keeping the SSD well within safe operating temperatures even under heavy load.

2. Dark Airflow I Heatsink without Fan: Without the active cooling provided by the fan, the temperature reached 52°C. This is still a respectable result, showing that the heatsink alone is quite effective.

3. Graphene Pad Only: Using only the graphene pad included with the SSD, the temperature soared to 84°C. This clearly indicates that passive cooling with just the pad is insufficient for the high-performance Gen 5 SSD.

4. Motherboard’s Aluminum Heatsink: The SSD reached 52°C with the motherboard’s integrated heatsink. It’s worth noting that the Z790 Apex has a particularly beefy heatsink. On a more budget motherboard, the heatsink might not be sufficient to keep temperatures in check, highlighting the importance of a robust cooling solution.

Conclusion:

The Teamgroup Z540 2TB Gen 5 SSD delivers outstanding performance, far surpassing the previous generation in speed tests. However, with great power comes the need for effective cooling. The Dark Airflow I SSD heatsink, especially when paired with its fan, proves to be an excellent solution, maintaining optimal temperatures even under demanding conditions. For those without the luxury of a dedicated heatsink, the motherboard’s aluminum heatsink provides a decent alternative, although active cooling is always preferred.

Overall, both the Z540 SSD and the Dark Airflow I heatsink come highly recommended. Whether you’re a power user looking for top-tier performance or someone needing reliable thermal management for your high-speed storage, Teamgroup’s latest products won’t disappoint.